Taken from the plane as we left Lisbon, this view shows Lisbon’s wonderful winding streets (tip: Lisbon is essentially situated on a hill, so bring good shoes and be prepared to walk to take it all in!)

We had an incredible experience travelling through Portugal during August-September 2017. Our first stop along the way was Lisbon where we spent 5 days taking in the city’s sights, culture, food and drink. Since we kept a detailed itinerary of each day, I’ve decided to share it here in case it can be helpful as you plan your upcoming travels or if you’re looking for inspiration. We had an wonderful time in Portugal—and Lisbon in particular—and would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone considering it!

Garden tour & picnic

Velocity Cafe – rent bikes (closed while we were there so couldn’t rent bikes; looks like city is adding infrastructure for grab/go rentals)

Parque Monsanto — we went, however being on foot made it challenging; it’s a huge park and found it a bit difficult to navigate as there’s little information online. May have been better on bike but there are likely other better ways closer to the core to spend a few hours.

Labyrinth of manmade caves that would have been difficult / time consuming to navigate without someone who knew what they’re doing (some people miss highlight of underground tower because they get lost)

Go early as possible as there are lots of tight spaces which would be tough with a crowd

Drinks at Pavilhão Chinês

Very weird and expensive drinks (nothing overly special for price) but worth seeing; suggest browsing around like a museum to take it all in

Day 5 — Art and Culture to End

National Museum of Ancient Art

Madonna exhibit from Vatican which was in town

Collection of other art, some interesting pieces like the “lettuce” jewelry

Could spend several hours here

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

Rich man’s personal collection spanning ancient Egypt to 1900s and many different cultures

In a large garden open to public

Other Attractions in Lisbon

We didn’t have time to check these out but they were on our list… next time!

Elevador da Glória — apparently overrated/expensive but leads to beautiful park/garden with great views of the city. Under construction when we were there unfortunately but would be a great place to relax with a beer and take in the view

Jardim de S. Pedro de Alcântara

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

Laurentina — “King of codfish”

Butchers — apparently best meat in Lisbon

Have you been to Lisbon before? Are you planning a trip sometime soon? Let me know in the comments!